David Luiz Brazilian footballer, central defender Date of Birth: 22.04.1987 Country: Brazil

Biography of David Luiz

David Luiz is a Brazilian footballer and a central defender for the club "Chelsea" and the Brazilian national team. He began his career at the club "Vitória" (Salvador), debuting in the first team at the age of 16 and quickly becoming a regular player. In 2006, David Luiz helped Vitória get promoted to Serie A, attracting the attention of several clubs in the country and abroad.

On January 31, 2007, David Luiz joined the Portuguese club "Benfica" on loan, as a replacement for Ricardo Rocha who moved to "Tottenham". He made his debut for the team in the UEFA Cup round of 16 against "Paris Saint-Germain", replacing the injured Luisão. "Benfica" lost the match 1-2 but advanced to the next round with an aggregate score of 4-3.

On March 12, 2007, David Luiz played his first league match for Benfica against "Uniao Leiria". At the end of the season, he signed a 5-year contract with Benfica, with the Portuguese club paying Vitória 500 thousand euros for the defender. On August 5, he scored his first goal for the club, against Lisbon's "Sporting" in an amateur tournament in Guadiana. However, in that season Luiz only played 13 games, often losing competition to his teammates.

During the 2008/2009 season, David Luiz played mostly as a left-back, replacing the injured Jorge Ribeiro. On January 11, 2009, he scored his first goal for Benfica in an official game, securing a victory against "Braga" with a score of 1-0. In the same month, he attracted interest from Italian club "Fiorentina", but the clubs did not reach an agreement.

In October 2009, David Luiz extended his contract with Benfica until 2015, stating that it was one of the happiest days of his life. In the winter of 2010, he was pursued by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Fiorentina. However, the footballer chose to stay with the Portuguese club. At the end of the season, he won the Portuguese League, the Cup, and the League Cup with Benfica.

In the fall of 2010, David Luiz attracted the interest of AC Milan, who were ready to offer 20 million euros for his transfer. In December, Chelsea offered 17 million pounds sterling for the player, but Benfica refused to sell the Brazilian, claiming that the price was too low.

David Luiz represented the Brazilian national youth team in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where they reached the round of 16. On August 10, 2010, Luiz made his debut for the senior national team in a friendly match against the United States, which Brazil won 2-0. His national team partner, Thiago Silva, said: "We have found common ground with David Luiz. He is young but has a bright personality. The team is entering a new phase, and we hope to be worthy successors to the duo Lucio and Juan, who have become legendary in recent years."